The Black Cats have yet to register a league win after 10 games this season and some national newspapers have claimed the 53-year-old faces the sack if they slump to a fifth straight defeat in all competitions at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Moyes has dismissed the speculation and remains confident he has the backing of both owner Ellis Short and the club's fans.

"I think the supporters have been brilliant," said Moyes, who will watch from the stands at the Vitality Stadium as he serves a touchline ban after admitting a Football Association charge of misconduct.

"Away from home and at home, they come in big numbers. That's why it's such an attractive football club. It's attractive because of the people and because of the numbers who come to games.

"It's attractive because I think they all know as well, they want a period of stability. They want a period of success as well, which unfortunately they've not been able to get.

"But I think they're willing to go through the pain if the thought is that there is a rainbow at the other end.

"I think they're willing to go through the pain if they have to."

When asked for his reaction to the claims over his own future, Moyes added: "I think they were all quashed weren't they?"

The former Manchester United and Everton manager refused to comment further and was making reference to subsequent claims made by the Sunderland Echo that he was not in imminent danger of losing his job.

Moyes won the League Managers Association's Manager of the Year award three times during his 11-year spell as Everton boss, but was sacked by United after 10 months and by Spanish club Real Sociedad after exactly one year.

Sunderland's perennial struggles have not been helped by a procession of incoming and outgoing managers at the Stadium of Light and Short will be reluctant to begin the search for his seventh permanent appointment in five years.

Moyes will be without captain John O'Shea at Bournemouth, with the centre-back becoming the latest key player to miss out through injury after being forced off against Arsenal due to a hamstring problem.

Midfielder Sebastian Larsson will not be rushed back after missing out so far this season due to a knee injury but he was scheduled to appear for the Under-23s on Friday night, while Lee Cattermole (back) and goalkeeper Vito Mannone (elbow) have made further progress.

Jan Kirchhoff (hamstring), Manchester City loanee Jason Denayer (adductor) and Fabio Borini (groin) all remain sidelined, but Moyes, whose side have registered only two points in the Premier League, maintained a public show of optimism before the trip to the south coast.

When asked what a win before the international break would do to lift the club, Moyes said: "It would be great if we could.

"So the job is to go to win, we have to win, we have the attitude to win all the games.

"I'm not saying we haven't before but we'll go out there with a positive attitude.

"We've got to find a way of getting over the line, of taking points from games and trying to drag out a result if we can, which we weren't able to do last week."